<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Fluttering Wings, Quivering Heart by kickassfu</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22994755">Fluttering Wings, Quivering Heart</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kickassfu/pseuds/kickassfu'>kickassfu</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Witcher (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cute, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Funny, Humor, M/M, One Shot, Short, Short &amp; Sweet, Short One Shot, ending thoughts by jaskier, geralt doesn't know, geralt's pov mostly, jaskier is cursed to be a bird</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 07:48:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,457</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22994755</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kickassfu/pseuds/kickassfu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It chirps incessantly until Geralt cleans himself, or to get him to take care of his wounds properly, and one to warn him of a thief (Geralt didn’t need to be warned, he could hear him perfectly well, but still-).</p><p>Not only is it noisy, it’s also incredibly touchy: it perches on his head, as if his hair is its nest, or on his shoulder rubbing itself on Geralt’s neck; it’s infuriating, and Geralt adores it. The little hummingbird has become part of his life, of his routine.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>628</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Fluttering Wings, Quivering Heart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>i got this amazing prompt on tumblr (took me a few days cause i was busy, but feel free to send me more): askier gets cursed and turned into a bird - Geralt doesn't know why this tiny thing is following him, but he gets used to it and even starts talking to it. He eventually says something about Jaskier who is missing - that he feels guilty and worried, etc. - whatever things he'd never tell the bard himself</p><p>i tried my best?? hope you like it!</p><p>Also I know a lot of fic writers, write Geralt calling Jaskier lark, and I was tempted, but hummingbirds my dudes!!!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Fluttering wings; day and night, beautiful, incredibly blue, fluttering wings. Geralt can’t recall when the little hummingbird had started following him, but apparently it’s here to stay.</em>
</p><p>It’s a random, normal, day when the bird finds him; it’s after he killed his monster of the day, and he’s filthy with blood, so yeah, <em>normal</em>.</p><p>The little thing chirps around him, going around him over and over, and as much as it’s weird, it looks worried about Geralt’s state. And of course, Geralt being Geralt, more used to talking to animals (<em>Roach</em>), than humans, actually graces the hummingbird with an answer, “I’m fine. It’s not my blood.”</p><p>At that the bird seemingly relaxes for one second, and then starts chirping again, pulling a strand of Geralt’s hair with its beak; he pushes the offending animal away and grunts, “Stop it.”</p><p>He isn’t angry. There’s no sense getting angry at an animal, but Geralt is certainly annoyed at how noisy and forceful it’s being. Kind of reminds him of Jaskier’s incessant chattering and his music; how he never listens to what Geralt says, getting himself into trouble, never leaving his side even when he sends Jaskier on his way.</p><p>The small thing looks ready to prick him, but doesn’t do it; its little wings flapping as fast as its heart - so fucking fast, Geralt is always surprised when he hears a hummingbird nearby, they live their lives intensely and fast, giving it their all to keep afloat - the bird finds its way to Roach, eventually perching on the horse’s head resolutely.</p><p>Guess he has a new companion, or not, the bird is bound to fly away sooner rather than later.</p><p>
  <em>It doesn’t.</em>
</p><p>It chirps incessantly until Geralt cleans himself, or to get him to take care of his wounds properly, and one to warn him of a thief (Geralt didn’t need to be warned, he could hear him perfectly well, but still-).</p><p>Not only is it noisy, it’s also incredibly touchy: it perches on his head, as if his hair is its nest, or on his shoulder rubbing itself on Geralt’s neck; it’s infuriating, and Geralt adores it. The little hummingbird has become part of his life, of his routine.</p><p>The night is cold, but beautiful; the starry night sky above them lighting up in the most amazing of ways, as Geralt lies down with one hand behind his head and the other one on his chest, the cute bird beneath it, enjoying the warmth.</p><p>It feels insensitive calling the bird an <em>“it”</em> now, and he deserves a proper name too, “I can’t call you Roach too. That’s for my horses.”</p><p>“You’re a hummingbird. An annoying, making noise machine, like a certain bard I know.” Geralt snorts, and the animal pricks him, it obviously doesn’t hurt and it amuses Geralt to no end when the bird seems to understand his insults. A <em>ding</em> goes inside his head and he speaks up again, laughing as if he’s the funniest man alive, “I have the perfect name for you. <em>Bard</em>. Because you’re a humming<em>bard</em>.”</p><p>The bird, Bard, starts chirping again and leaves the safety and warmth of his hand, to fly up into Geralt’s line of sight, staring and staring, chirping and chirping, but when Geralt’s face didn’t flash with recognition, Bard gives up whatever he’s doing, and goes back to his previous spot.</p><p>Geralt doesn’t understand the reaction, and doesn’t really care. Closing his eyes, he softly ruffles his tiny feathery head, “Bard it is then.”</p><hr/><p>“I’m worried.” if anyone had been around to hear him, Geralt wouldn’t have said it. Voicing these sort of thoughts where someone might listen, and react to it, is unbearably painful and he hates it with a fiery death. But there’s only Roach and Bard as he complains on the road.</p><p>“I’m worried,” he repeats himself as Bard sits on his head, “about Jaskier.”</p><p>At that, Bard starts flying around Geralt, chirping, which he’s used to by now and so ignores him, continuing his thought process, “I haven’t seen or heard from him in a while, <em>it’s not normal</em>. I’m- what if he got himself into trouble? I should have been there for him, <em>with</em> him.”</p><p>Bard is once again in front of his eyes, just looking into his eyes, and once again Geralt thinks it’s weird how the hummingbird sometimes reacts so <em>humanely</em>, so Jaskier-y. But animals are beautiful, amazing, insightful creatures, so maybe it isn’t so weird.</p><p>“Are you trying to comfort me?”</p><p>If a bird could look frustrated, Geralt thinks Bard looks it right now, sad too. There’s something missing in this picture; Geralt is<em> missing</em> something, besides Jaskier.</p><p>
  <em>Jaskier.</em>
</p><p>No, it can’t be.</p><p>He thinks back at the bird’s reactions, all the little moments since he’s started following Geralt, and even though something clicks as Geralt looks at the beautiful, blue, hummingbird, he shakes his head, it <em>can’t</em> be.</p><p>“Bard?” he asks, needing the confirmation. The bird stays quiet, as if waiting for something else, “<em>Jaskier?</em>”</p><p>Chirping, louder than ever before, and Geralt is feeling dizzy from <em>everything</em>, “Do you prefer that name?”</p><p>The bird pricks Geralt’s forehead, and his cheeks, and his nose and-</p><p>“Ok, ok. I get it. Are you-” it felt stupid, asking a fucking <em>bird</em> if he’s the man he loves, but, he has to, “are you Jaskier?”</p><p>The bird, <em>Jaskier</em>, flits around his head, once, twice, thrice, only to plop down on Geralt’s shoulder, and rub himself on Geralt’s neck.</p><p>“<em>Fuck.</em>”</p><hr/><p>“Honestly Geralt, took you long enough to figure it out! Oh and I won’t be soon forgetting how you talked about me behind my back. You rude, rude Witcher.”</p><p>Geralt is definitely feeling the start of a major headache, after having to deal with Yennefer’s amusement and laughter, as she figured out the cure for Jaskier’s pesky little curse. And then, Jaskier’s non stopping complaints when he finally got cured; he missed his bard, truly, his voice, his songs, all and every little thing about him. But now he’s starting to miss his sweet, chirping Bard, it certainly wasn’t as <em>noisy</em>. Or at least, he didn’t understand his complaints.</p><p>“Can you shame me for speaking the truth?”</p><p>“<em>How dare you? </em>I’m not an annoying, noise machine. I’m a wonderful, amazing, talented, Bard and-” Jaskier stops talking suddenly, and Geralt can’t hear his feet, so he must have stopped walking as well.</p><p>“What’s wrong now?” Geralt sighs, turning around.</p><p>“I also won’t forget how you were the sweetest Witcher ever, calling hummingbird-me, Bard. Because he -<em> I? </em>it’s so confusing, honestly. How the bird reminded you of me - and because of your terrible sense of humor, good lord Geralt, really? - and I certainly will never stop thinking of how you let me snuggle up to you. Not to mention of how worried you were for me. Who knew, repressed Witcher, Geralt of Rivia, cared about his <em>Bard </em>so very much?”</p><p>Jaskier is now nose to nose with him, looking straight into his eyes, and Geralt suddenly remembers how the hummingbird did that so much; he feels stupid for having taken so long to see how their eyes were the same. The way they look at him the same, the way they worry, their<em> everything</em>. But then again, it was a fucking bird, so it’s not really his fault for not seeing it.</p><p>“Hm.”</p><p>“I see. Going into your grumpy, non responsive mode. How typical of you.”</p><p>“Not really, I’m just letting you speak freely. You must have missed the sound of your voice, seeing as you love it so much.”</p><p>“Well, perhaps you’ve missed it just as much then.”</p><p>
  <em>Perhaps.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Probably…</em>
</p><p>Who is he trying to kid?</p><p>“Yes, maybe I did.” Geralt huffs, and starts walking away - honesty is uncomfortable. Makes him feel vulnerable, wide open for the world to see.</p><p>“I know.” Jaskier laughs, and falls into step next to him, throwing his arm around Geralt’s shoulders. Trying to be as close as he can be; since it’s impossible to snuggle up to his neck as when he was a little bird, this would have to do for now.</p><p>Jaskier knows now, how much Geralt thinks of him, speaks of him to Roach, how he worries and pines and loves. Knows how much Geralt loves being touched, taken care of, and how he loves to touch and to take care of in return.</p><p>He’s fine with waiting till Geralt’s ready to open himself willingly (knowing it has already started), as much as he waited by his side every day till he noticed he was Jaskier. And even if he never had...at least he’d be next to the man he loved, in his arms.</p><p>It’s only a matter of time.</p><p>They both know it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i'm also kickassfu on tumblr~~</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>